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Sea Lion Dies From Gunshot Wounds Despite Rescue Efforts

King Neptune the sea lion was found in Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on August 17, 2011 with an apparent gunshot wound. He is being treated at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. (Marine Mammal Center)

King Neptune the sea lion was found in Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on August 17, 2011 with an apparent gunshot wound. He is being treated at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. (Marine Mammal Center)

The California sea lion, dubbed King Neptune, was put down after tests determined that his condition had deteriorated significantly, officials with the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito said.

An infection from the gunshot wound had spread to his chest, causing a serious case of pneumonia to develop. The wound was also failing to heal and muscles along his spine were atrophying, a center spokeswoman said.

King Neptune, a young adult male, was rescued from the wharf Aug. 17 after he was spotted by a member of the public.

He was lethargic and underweight, and veterinarians at the center’s Sausalito facility found that he had been shot by a large-caliber weapon. X-rays showed bullet fragments lodged dangerously close to his spine.

Veterinarians estimate the sea lion was shot a few days before the rescue. He was put on antibiotics and painkillers, but officials reported difficulty in persuading him to eat.

King Neptune is the fourth sea lion suffering from gunshot wounds that the center has rescued this year.

In May, a female pup that had been shot was also rescued from the Santa Cruz wharf but did not survive. The two other pinniped rescues recovered from their injuries and were released into the wild, center spokesman Jim Oswald said.

The center admitted 9 patients with gunshot wounds in 2010, and 19 in 2009.

It is illegal to harm or harass a marine mammal. Anyone with information on this shooting or any other cases of animal abuse or injuries is asked to call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement at (831) 647-2127.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Interesting to note how many readers have a more emotional response to a sea lion’s shooting than to a person’s. I wonder if a commercial fisherman’s child starved due to lack of fish if these folks would feel the pain.

A fishermans children thankfully are not marine mammals trying to survive in the ocean. The wild natural world that sea lions, seals, and sea otters are faced with surviving in, presents many challenges for their existence. One of those challenges should not be a 30-30 in the hands of frustrated fishermen. I dare say there are few starving familes of the fishing community. If you’re looking for the real culprits in the demise of our ocean fisheries, look to environmental degradation, and the the huge international fishing factories a float on the high seas with their wide cast drag neeting practices. Sea lions are not decimating our fisheries, they are just easy targets who can’t fire back.

Only if the gun is recovered, and it hasn’t been stolen. We are fortunate to live in a society that has not reached that level of government oppression. The British have and now suffer the consequences of higher crime and lesser freedoms.

People really disgust me. And yes, sometimes I do feel more compassion for animals. The human race is becoming more and more sick, untrustworthy and vengeful. Animals have an innocence that people don’t have. They don’t have hate in their hearts. Whoever did this deserves to be shot in the spine. And unfortunately he/she most likely will not be punished for this horrible crime. RIP King Neptune 😦